Changing coaches twice in half a year doesn’t usually scream “I’ve found the solution.” It screams, “I’m trying to find anyone who can tell me I’m still 24k gold.” If Fenech can’t magically install a defensive shell in three months, that Spence fight might just be the iceberg that sinks the ship for good.
For a guy whose career was supposed to be a steady march to greatness, this looks like a fighter in a full-blown identity crisis.
Firing your long-term team, Igor Goloubev and Glenn Jennings, after the Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev disasters was understandable. It was a search for answers. But dropping Pedro Diaz after just two wins against Anthony Velazquez and Denis Nurja suggests Tszyu doesn’t like what he sees in the mirror.
On paper, Tszyu’s 10-round decision over Denis Nurja on April 5 looked like the kind of bounce-back fight meant to rebuild confidence. He won comfortably, controlled long stretches and gained rounds after tough losses.
Yet only weeks later his team was sidelined ahead of talks for a possible fight with Errol Spence Jr.
This timing indicates concern within the camp. Tszyu won the fight, but he still landed more punches than he should have against a limited opponent. The same habits that hurt him against Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev were still evident. He came in upright, accepted turnovers too freely and left openings after hitting.
Against Nurja, those mistakes were survivable because the other side lacked the power and finishing ability to turn moments into damage. Against bigger punchers or sharper attacking fighters the end could have looked very different.
Changing coaches can improve preparation and sharpen mistakes, but it doesn’t erase years of instinct in one camp. Tszyu remains dangerous due to his pressure, toughness and willingness to engage. He also remains detectable against men who can punish him.
Tszyu did not look improved on April 5 against Nurja. He was still clipped by a guy who had no business touching him.
Hiring Fenech, who has publicly dismissed Diaz’s training methods as “s***,” feels like a reactionary move. It’s a back-to-basics play, but doing it right before a potential date with Errol Spence Jr. to do in July is the definition of high risk.
The “B-level” label given to Tszyu by fans is the ultimate insult in boxing, but the evidence is mounting that this is the case.
During Tszyu’s rise, he knocked over guys like Dennis Hogan, Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo. These were solid names, but all were either past their prime or stylistically tailored for him.
There is a real possibility that the sledgehammer Tim took from Murtazaliev changed his chemistry. When a pressure fighter who relies on toughness starts to lose his mustache or second-guess his defense, the decline is usually steep and ugly.
If Tszyu was exposed by Fundora’s length and Murtazaliev’s power, Errol Spence Jr. provides. a different kind of nightmare: elite ring IQ. Even a diminished Spence isn’t going to let Tszyu ‘Terminator’ through 12 rounds.
